Sing The Song Within Your Soul
by Li'ain
Summary: A young girl finds it hard to deal with people who expect her to like everything they like but through Angeli Layer she discovers how others are like her and are ready to support her.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer I do not own Angelic layer, Clamp do.   
  


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Chapter One – A New Angel  
  
Hotaru ran inside her house with tears of fury running down her face. She couldn't believe that Kazuko could get under her skin so. I mean Kazuko had been Hotaru's best friend for ages but them at the first sign of trouble had ditched her. It wasn't Hotaru's fault she wasn't into make-up or keeping up with the latest cool thing in fear of being left behind. She couldn't give a damn. She didn't mind people who just like those things but she hated those who just liked them to fit in. It wasn't as if she even wanted to be friends with Kazuko anymore but she could say the exact thing to upset Hotaru and irritate her. The phone rang, "Moshi, moshi. *" Yasu was on the other end. Yasu was Hotaru's present best friend. She'd always been there for Hotaru backing her up. "Hey, I've got a surprise for you." "Huh?"  
  
"Call it an early birthday present." (Hotaru's birthday wasn't for another week.)  
  
"What?"  
  
"Meet me at Piffle Princess in half an hour."  
  
"Listen Yase, I'm not in the mood for watching. I've just had a rubbish day."  
  
"Listen, meet me there or I'll attack you!"  
  
"Okay, I'll go for the sake of my life," Hotaru chuckled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later  
  


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Hotaru ran like mad. She was late as usual. Yase was waiting smiling. She was quite different to Hotaru. Hotaru had light brown hair and Yase had dark brown. Hotaru had misty blue eyes and Yase had brown/amber eyes. Hotaru was pale and Yase was tanned. "What's this all about, Yase? What's going on?" Yase smiled mischievously and started to hum softly. Hotaru was shocked she was humming, Happy Birthday to You. Yase reached into a Piffle Princess bag and drew out two angel eggs. "Here ya go!!! Happy Birthday!" Hotaru's confused expression turned into a huge grin. "You never bought me my very own angel?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"You realise I can't pay you back."  
  
"Since when do you pay for birthday presents? I'm sorry but I have to go now. I snuck out of the house but I couldn't wait to buy our angels. Enjoy."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~That evening  
  


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Hotaru stared at her angel. It was a green doll but soon it would be an angel. She placed a dark black wig on the angel and cut it to shoulder length. Then placed her on her angelic layer laptop. She set the parameters so her angel would be an endurance type. Name: ~I think her name should be something inspiring~ thought Hotaru. ~I'll name you, Inochi. it means life. You are a new beginning, a new start. I won't be embarrassed about who I am. I am Hotaru. I have friends and I'll never give one hoot about what Kuzuko thinks ever again!!!" Inochi's blue eyes opened and she stared peacefully at Hotaru. Hotaru's soul had awakened.  
  
*Moshi, moshi is said in Japan when answering the telephone.  
  
Authors note: So what do you think for a first chapter? Please review. 


	2. Chapter Two The Initiation of a Deus

Disclaimer: I don't own Angelic Layer. Clamp does.  
  
Chapter two – The Initiation of a Deus  
  
"Hey, Hotaru, you make your angel yet?"  
  
"'Course. Her name's Inochi. I guess you think that's odd."  
  
"Nope. Mine's called Michi."  
  
"Listen, Yase. I've been thinking."  
  
"Yeah? What?"  
  
"Well when Angelic Layer was just a TV show, the girl in it, knew how to sew."  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"How are we gonna get our angels clothes?"  
  
"We'll just hafta buy some ready made things or pay for customised costumes but they are so expensive and I'm skint"  
  
"I can use the money I was saving up to buy an angel to get our angels customised clothes. I should have enough by now."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~At Piffle Princess  
  


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Hotaru looked around the costumes' section of Piffle Princess. The shelves had every kind of costume imaginable. Ballet costumes, ninja costumes, angel costumes and even priest costumes. Hotaru stared stunned. "Hey, Hotaru. We should go to the customised costumes creator now." Hotaru appeared not too notice. She was in heaven. There were enough accessories to keep her here for a year. "HO-TA-RU!!!" Hotaru looked up dreamily. "You say anything, Yase?" Yase sighed.  
  
The creator strode up to them. "Can I help you lassies?" He spoke with a broad Scottish accent. "Yes, please. We've brought designs of costumes and we'd like you to create them for us please," smiled Yase.  
  
"Oh, aye and are ye planning to pay me for this, eh?"  
  
"Of course," retorted Hotaru, deeply offended.  
  
"Lesse your drawings then." They passed them to him and he smiled. "You've put a fair bit o' work into these I see. Well I'll do my best to them justice."  
  
"Arigato gozimasu*," the friends chorused. The man nodded and went into his work station. "I can't wait to see them can you?"  
  
"No," replied Hotaru excitedly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Next day at Piffle Princess  
  


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Hotaru and Yase practically charged into Piffle Princess almost knocking a startled customer down. They ran to the creator's workstation. He was standing there smiling I got 'em done. Spent half the night on 'em too."  
  
"Oh, that was very kind," said Hotaru appreciatively.  
  
" No problem. I like to help enthusiastic lassies."  
  
Hotaru took the costume that was for Inochi. It was a blue jumper with a gold neckline and a gold I in the centre. This was outlined in red. There were ordinary blue trousers. The shoes were black boots with gold laces. The top of the boot was red and the heels were red. Attached to the boots was a brown tassel with red beads between the ball of the tassel and the fringe. He had also made red bracelets with similar tassels only the ball of these tassels was black. A hair band that would circle her head had been created which was like the bracelets only the tassel was similar to the boots tassel. Lastly there was the blue angel cords and at the end of them there were guess what? Tassels. These had black balls and were like the boots tassels.  
  
Hotaru carefully placed these items on Inochi. They suited her perfectly. "But something's missing," murmured Hotaru. She looked around at the accessories. "I know!" She chose a brown leather belt with gold thread through it. She tied it to Inochi's waist. "There. Perfect!" She showed it to Yase. "Do you like it?"  
  
"Awesome. What do you think of Michi?" Yase held up an angel with long purple hair, which reached her waist and grey eyes. She wore a top that was seemingly at black but at different times different colours seemed to glint on it. Sewn into the top were silver stars. She wore black baggy trousers and a dark blue cape. Its clasp was a silver star and moon. "She's beautiful!" breathed Hotaru. The both looked happily at their angels. "Aren't you gonna go try them out?" queried the creator. Hotaru and Yase laughed they couldn't believe they'd forgotten to go test them out. They rushed up to the practice layers. "Could we book a layer, please?" gasped Yase  
  
"You can. Here. Use layer 16. Is this your first time? I've seen you hanging around but never playing."  
  
"Yes, we're newbies," replied Hotaru.  
  
"Well you know," said the clerk leaning forward, " that a lot of deuses say once you perform your entry into the layer for the first time it's like you are an initiated deus."  
  
"Cool," whispered Hotaru. They smiled and strode to the layer. "Here we go then!"  
  
Yase placed her visor on her head and held Michi above her head. "Michi, show me the path to victory!!! Angel, fall in!!! " Michi leapt into the layer she twirled slowly then as she landed upon the floor she undid the clasp of the cloak and tossed it dramatically out of the layer. Yase glowed with pride. "Your turn. Hotaru"  
  
Hotaru took the visor and placed it on her head. She used an underarm throw to send Inochi into the layer. "Inochi sing the song within your soul. Angel, fall in." Inochi did a somersault, raised her arms high above her head and twirling her hands still above her head landed brought her hands into a defence position.  
  
Hotaru looked at Inochi and smiled happily. She was now an initiated deus and she was ready to do some damage.  
  
* Thank you very much in Japanese.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author's note  
  


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Well another chapter done. A bit longer this time. Who will Hotarou and Yase face? Please read on and take a little minute to review. 


	3. Chapter 3 A chance to prove myself

Disclaimer I do not own Angelic layer, Clamp do.  
  
A/n: Sorry about the long wait but here it is. Thanks to all the people who review. Haruka: Yes same Hotaru. Thank you for your review Chrissie-chan: Here is an update. I love making entry lines.  
  
Chapter 3- A chance to prove myself.  
  
"Oi!"  
  
"Huh?" Hotaru looked up at the speaker, "Me?" Hotaru looked at the girl in front of her. She knew her. The freckly rat like face. The small watery eyes. The brown hair scraped into the latest style. The sneer. "Kazuko? What do you want?" Yase recognised her and jumped to her feet unplugging the visor in her haste. "Get lost, Kazuko."  
  
"Oh sit down. You were reasonably cool. You must realise Hotaru will never grow up. I mean honestly liking anime at 13. She's hopeless," glared Kazuko.  
  
"For you information, Kazuko, I like anime and I'm 15 and I'd rather be friends with Hotaru for a million years then say hello to you!" Yase was mad at this unfair treatment of her best friend, Hotaru motioned to Yase to sit down," She's not worth it. Now say what you wanna say and go." Kazuko smiled. "I don't want to say anything! I want to battle you. I have my own angel, Belle." She drew out an angel. It had blond hair with pink tips reaching past her knees even though it was tied in a high ponytail with a pink bow. It was a wearing a pink frilly jacket, a miniskirt and pink high- heeled boots. She wore elbow long pink fingerless gloves and her nails were bright pink. Her eyes were...you guessed it...Pink. On her jacket in a white heart was a drippy pop star. Hotaru thought it was John Thomas but didn't really care enough to wonder. Hotaru felt physically sick whilst looking at Belle. Even when she shut her eyes she could still see the pink. "Belle's a speed type, "boasted Kazuko. "Not a boring endurance type," she more or less spat.  
  
"Well Kazuko, much as I'd love to whoop you're a$$ I am in the middle of a match." Yase smiled and picked up Michi from the layer, "No I want to see you show Kazuko how a real angel fights. Go get her," she passed Kazuko the visor, "Good luck."  
  
"Entry angel," called Yase.  
  
"Sing the song within your soul, Inochi. Angel fall in. Inochi did a somersault, raised her arms high above her head and twirling her hands still above her head landed brought her hands into a defence position.  
  
"Fight in a flare of beauty and style, Belle. Angel fall in." Belle went into a ballet position and did a little pirouette (spin on tiptoes of one foot.)  
  
"You so-oo did not make that up," grinned Yase.  
  
"I did too."  
  
"Come off it Kazuko, You have as much imagination as a pea. You probably asked someone or went on one of those entry line generators on the net," smirked Hotaru.  
  
"Can we just start already?"  
  
"Oooo, looks like you touched a raw nerve Hotaru. Anyways...Angelic FIGHT!!!"  
  
Belle lunged forward at Inochi. Hotaru was actually wowed at Belle's speed. So she knew she was better than Kazuko in many respects but she had no idea of Kazuko's ability's as a deus. What if she couldn't beat her? Hotaru shook her head. No!!! She'd let Kazuko walk all over her before that's how she'd been hurt. If she put her faith in Inochi then she could win. Though it wasn't looking great. Inochi was being slapped repeatedly be Belle. Hotaru looked worriedly at the damage count. Inochi was endurance type so she'd only lost a little hp but still. Inochi ducked her head and thrust it forward into Belle's stomach knocking Belle of balance. Inochi cart wheeled to the centre of the layer and stood in a defensive stance but it was barely a second before Belle had joined her. Belle aimed a punch but Inochi grabbed her arm and pulled her down so Belle was lying on the layer. However as Inochi was moving to body slam Belle, Belle stuck her high heel into Inochi's chest. This lowered Inochi's hp drastically. Belle now had a higher hp. Belle swung herself up and the two angels were matching each other punch for punch.  
  
~It's too late,~ thought Yase.~ Their more or less doing equal damage to each other now but Inochi's hp was lower before Hotaru got used to the game due to that high heel kick. It's Hotaru's first match and I bet Kazuko practiced for ages before challenging her. I should've stopped them fighting.~  
  
~It can't end like this.~ Hotaru couldn't stand it. ~If I'd only had a chance to practice a little...I know I could have beaten her.~ Hotaru glanced at Kazuko. Kazuko was grinning but she was also sweating. This was obviously taking a lot out of Kazuko. Hotaru hadn't lost yet. ~If I believe in Inochi I can win. I know it but I have to use tactics. I can't just defend then punch then defend again. I have to try something. I know it's risky but we can do it!~  
  
Inochi broke away from Belle and dashed to the edge of the layer. ~Yes!~ thought Kazuko. ~If I get my speed up enough one kick will send her out of the layer!~ Belle broke into a run,her legs moving so fast they were a blur she was nearing Inochi. ~One kick.~  
  
~No.~ thought Yase. ~Why did she just give up. In 5 seconds it will all be over.  
  
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A/n Will Hotaru really lose? Find out next chapter! Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4 The beginning of the dream

Disclaimer I do not own Angelic layer, Clamp do. Thank-you to all reviewers and readers.  
  
Riyna-chan- Thanks for the reviews I'm glad you like it. To see a pic of Inochi go here,   
  
Daydreamer9- Ty and here's an update.  
  
Chapter 4 - The beginning of the dream  
  
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Belle was zooming towards Inochi. "Now," yelled Hotaru attracting many curious looks. Inochi sidestepped. She'd wait just long enough so Belle couldn't stop but she was well out of the way of the angel's short limbs. Inochi karate chopped Belle in the middle of her back sending her over the edge. The match was over. "Yatta? *" Hotaru breathed unbelievingly. She looked up. It hadn't just been Yase watching the match. Quite a few people had gathered 'round. There was a girl with short sandy brown hair and turqoise eyes with red pompoms. Had she been cheering Kazuko on? "Wahoo. The black haired angel won!" No, she must have just been a completely random person. Yase yelled in triumph. Kazuko stood up and glared. "Hah. It's an idiot game anyway. I mean your angel looks plain dumb."  
  
"That's enough Kazuko," growled Hotaru, her voice now dangerous.  
  
"No it's not. Everyone here is playing with dolls I mean hello? 4 year olds play with dolls."  
  
"Then how come you have one, Kazuko?"  
  
"I...well I...I stole mine of a toddler so there."  
  
Yase grinned, "Yeah, I'm sure everyone believes you. Just get lost, Kazuko." Hotaru looked up and noticed too girls from school entering. They were two of the many girls Kazuko sucked up too. They each were carrying angels. "Sorry, Kazuko. Did you say you think angelic layer's cool?" Kazuko shook her head vehemently, "No angelic layer is for little babies!!!" she yelled. The two girls approached Kazuko from behind. The blond haired green-eyed girl tapped her shoulder. Kazuko swung round. "Hey Kazuko-chan, gomen* but my party on Saturday was cancelled. Sorry!" She and her friend turned their backs and walked out of the room only pausing only to loudly invite another girl to their "little gathering on Saturday."  
  
Kazuko scowled, "You meant that to happen." she accused Hotaru angrily.  
  
"Oh get lost," grumped Hotaru.  
  
~~~Later~~~  
  
Hotaru sat on her bed happily recalling her earlier victory. ~Maybe with a lot of work I could be a pro deus. Hotaru went into a happy daydream where she was a pro deus. She shook her head," Yeah right." Yuuko-chan walked in. She had dark hair and light eyes. She was wearing a black t-shirt with a silver arrow on it and baggy black jeans. She was carrying her angel Katarina (from episode 4) in one hand. Katarina wore a pink jumper, red shoulder pads, a blue pinafore, white trousers and pink ice skates. Her light brown hair was tied back in a red bobble and she was wearing a blue bandanna. She was tall and had green eyes but Hotaru noticed Yuuko-chan was clutching something else, a crunched up piece of paper. "Hey, cous!" smiled Yukko. "Look what I found."  
  
"What?"  
  
"There's a tournament and I thought now you're a new deus we could enter together!"  
  
"Wow. Yeah I'd love to enter." Yuuko unfolded the paper. It was a colourful page with the heading Kyoto Angelic Layer Competition. "Ever since I started staying with you Taru-chan, I've been dying for a tournament."  
  
Yuuko-chan had come down to Kyoto to keep an eye on Hotaru while Hotaru's mum was away attling in angelic layer tournies. The cousins were close and Yuuko normally called Hotaru Taru-chan.  
  
Hotaru's eyes glimmered at the prospect of a new challenge. 


End file.
